Of Blood and Souls
by nokoha
Summary: There was nothing to lose in my opinion, there wasn't a life to live, maybe that's why I took him up on his offer. He offered me something I had wanted for a very long time, a chance to find out who the girl I saw reflected in his eyes was and stay her. He offered me a life where I could be loved and that sealed the deal. It didn't matter if he was a bloodsucker, I was now his.
1. Prologue

So as many of you know I don't normally put an author's note up here during the prologue but I felt the need to. Anyways, this is one of my...um...perhaps five or four new stories that I'm currently writing. Now my main reason for putting this here is to herd all my fanbase (PSH WHAT FANBASE? JK, I love you guys) to FictionPress where I've got some stories up. One of them is a regular love story (okay as regular as I could get it, it's still got fighting and all that and much drama and hot guys) and the other is a Sci-Fi/Dystopian/Romance story. So if you want to go check those out I go by the same name on FictionPress so just look me up or PM me for the link. So without further ado I hope you like this new vampire story that I've written up! It'll probably irritate the hell out of you (the main girl's age) but she'll age as the story progresses so please try to bare with it because I think it's a really good story (better than **THT** and **TWH** that's for sure) and I'd appreciate it if you would read it.

Sorry for the long ass author's note, so now please read and review!

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**"Prologue"**

It was a paradise, taken straight from my deepest dreams and desires. My breath caught in my throat as I stepped forward, my movements slow and quiet. I was quite certain that my mouth was hanging open, if only a bit. My arms were spread out wide as I turned in a circle, my gaze drinking in the magnificent room. My bare feet made the softest sound of flesh slapping gently against the hardwood floors. Books, _thousands_ of books filled the room. Every shelf was simply packed; the room was outlined in grand bookcases on all of its four levels. A splendid, grated, glass-covered fire pit sat in the middle of the room, surrounded by all sorts of the most comfortable looking chairs, recliners and poufs I had ever laid eyes on. There was likely similar seating on the upper floors as well.

The lighting of the room was quite amazing, achieved with a glass ceiling high above and monstrous windows lining the walls at intervals. The colors, though, were just as spectacular; rich mahogany wood for the shelves, the desks, the wooden chairs and the railing of the open, loft-styled upper levels. The cherry wood stairs that circled upwards and the ash wood paneling and crowing molding accentuated the grandeur. The cushioned furniture varied in color from blue to black, from gray to red, from brown to green, all in dim, tasteful tones; I noticed curiously, that there was not even a touch of orange or yellow save for upon the paintings, murals and book covers themselves. The walls—every scrap of open space—were covered in the most breath taking works of art that man could ever lay his eyes on. There were scenes of the dawn, of rolling hills, of the starry night—beautiful lakes, emerald green forests, the burning sun and the glowing moon.

It was simply just the most fantastic, most lovely library that could be imagined. I also thought I saw cushioned window sills, and perhaps desks pushed up to the huge windows to take advantage of the filtered light. The elegant detail of the wood carvings scattered about the room, over various surfaces, was captivating. I spun slowly again, this time with my head thrown back as I tried to sear the entire image of the library into my mind. I didn't even stop as I heard a chuckle coming from the direction of the massive rowan double doors.

"Little one, my sweet," a smooth, deep, wonderful voice called out, "we'll be spending a lot of time here. Come, we've got work to do, remember?"

I let a small sigh of regret leave my mouth as my head dropped down, tearing my eyes away from the view above. What I saw now instead was a being of perfection standing before me. From his powerful jaw line, his high cheek bones and his strong, straight nose, you could barely tell he was a living thing, for he looked more akin to some flawless sculpture crafted by Michelangelo himself. I smiled; the man before me probably had probably known the artist way back when. He arched an eyebrow at me before running a hand through his glossy black hair. I slowly walked over to where he stood near one of the many desks in their uniform arrangement of rows; he was so much taller than my thirteen-year-old self. I was a short little thing at four-ten, not even five feet tall. He on the other hand towered above me at most likely six-two to six-four.

I looked up at him once I stopped a few feet away from his person; his cobalt blue eyes stared down at me curiously. My own eyes flickered to the chair that he was standing next to and immediately two large hands with slender fingers were pulling it from the desk. I didn't move though, but simply watched from where I stood. He let out a sigh before reaching out towards me. My entire body tingled as soon as the surface of our skins touched; he smiled down at me and guided me into the chair.

"My sweet, we really do have much to do. Wisdom takes time to gain and we must use the gift Aaron gave you efficiently. This library will always be here for you…as will I."


	2. Chapter 1

My god, look at that! Updates back to back! XD That rhymed. Anyways here is chapter one of my new story and I hope you take a liking to it! I own everything written here and please review.

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**"To the Moon and Sun"**

"Child, I see you in here more than I see myself in this room," the nurse sighed as she wrapped the gauze around my left arm. I winced when she pulled a little too tightly as she finished up. With my uninjured arm I reached up so that I could rub the back of my neck sheepishly.

"Yeah, fancy that," I replied, throwing her a lopsided smile.

Nurse Shelly gave me a hard, long stare, "You know that I could always report those bitches. Or—she smiled showing me her teeth in a coy way that we both knew had a double meaning—give them a proper lesson."

I shook my head, "Shelly, you need to get those filed down again. Someone's bound to notice sometime."

She sniffed, "Sometimes I'm sorry that I started to let you in, even if you are one of the most adorkable, open-minded girls I've ever known."

I loved her; she was like the badass aunt that everyone loved or hated. And I was her favorite. My head shook as I sat on that stool and cast my gaze downward; pitch black hair slid down around my face and I flipped it back over my shoulders. The bangs I kept swept to the right fell with recalcitrance back into my eyes while the feathered hair on the left side of my face curled against my cheek in some semblance of obedience, and the long layered strands brushed against my back and arms. I liked my new haircut even though I had to get it because the bitches going after my stepbrother cut off about five inches of my hair. I mourned the loss of my longer, waist-length hair but this new style pleased me. My stepbrother on the other hand it did not; even if he didn't voice his opinion it was clear every time his eyes narrowed, not quite at me—my face—but rather a little above or below, whenever I passed him in the hall. Not that he ever talked to me anyway.

"That's alright," I said, my voice quiet, "I'll be fine. In the end it's not like their big rich parents won't just donate some enormous amount of money anyway to shove it under the rug. I don't want to cause trouble for you."

Her sigh was loud and defeated but she knew I was right. My mouth formed into an apologetic smile before I hopped off the stool, my converse high tops squeaking as they hit the floor. Nurse Shelly cupped my face in her hands, giving me a long, worried look before she grabbed my black hoodie from behind her on the counter and deposited it in my arms.

"It's dinner time honey, but I wouldn't recommend going into the Lounge; your brother went off on me last time when he saw your 'marks'."

I nodded as I slipped the familiar piece of clothing on before slipping out the door, "I'll head to the garden then."

"Later little lady! Do not get into any more trouble you hear? Lovell? Lovell Bishop!"

I waved to her as I walked away down the hall and towards the exit. Um, you're probably pretty confused at the moment so I'll help you out. The name is Lovell Bishop; I'm half British and half Japanese, if you're wondering. And as of eleven months ago I'm thirteen years old. Anyway, I've got a mom, a step-dad and a step-brother. A step-brother who is literally the root cause of all pain I have gone—and am going through. He just turned sixteen and I'd love for life to fuck with him, just once. Why, you ask? And with such vehement language? Well if you were the, I quote from the bitches that harass me, 'the scrawny, ugly, loner midget step-sister' of the 'school's hottest guy' your life would suck too and you'd probably want to curse your step-brother as well. Did you not realize I was coming out from the Nurses' Office?

"You're talking to yourself in your head Lovell," I scolded myself as I opened the exit doors, a cold breeze blew right through me, making me shiver, "That's not a good sign, talking to yourself. Actually, you're talking to a silent auditor in your head, which might be worse."

My hands worked rapidly at the zipper of my hoodie before I shoved them back into the pockets, aching slightly from the bite of the cool, finicky metal. Damn, it was cold out tonight; this was why I didn't like this private boarding school on the East Coast. No offense to you East Coast people, but I liked my sunny California a lot better than this snow and slush. My eyes scanned around the lush garden: tree branches hung over strategic locations to form natural archways, flowers bloomed even in the middle of fall, and the cobblestone paths winding through the outdoor garden were beautiful as they shone because of the thin but dangerous layer of ice that coated them. My breath came out as fine mist in the cold night air. I smiled and started down the main path.

No one but me came out into the gardens; it was a shame, really, but since I was the only member of the gardening club I'd have to deal with it. On a brighter note this was my own little piece of Heaven that I had been creating for the past three years since my brother and I transferred here after his little mishap at our last school. I sighed as I passed under the first archway, for my brother had a bit of a fighting problem and it'd gotten us kicked out of most schools within a year. Then we landed here at our boarding school that was somewhere around the Portland area or something, and somehow we had lasted. I mourned the loss of my California sky back in the Bay Area. At least there, there had been a sky to speak of, instead of a dismal lumpy barrier.

"A dreamer is like a bird," I whispered as I stuffed my hands into my jean pockets, "It feels so high that it doesn't know when the sky ends and space begins. So you must shoot it down, shoot it down so it won't die. Shoot at its heart and break it so that it can heal and fly again only to be shot down again, what must goes up must come down again so shoot it before it dies, shoot it so it can fly."

A laugh escaped my lips, it wasn't a happy, 'oh so funny' kind of laugh. No, it was more of a 'god how depressing am I?' kind of laugh. _Pathetic_, I scolded myself even as it did not cease. I trudged through some snow that had gathered on a crossroad and turned sharply right. In the distance I could just barely make out some figures. A smile, a real one tugged at the corners of my lips. I was heading towards my favorite spot in the garden. As I got closer I could just make out the two statues hidden beneath the ring of rowan trees. A male depiction of the sun and a female depiction of the moon gazed lovingly at each other as they held hands, creating yet another archway. Both were very beautiful works. I had heard that they had been created by an art student who had gone to this school back during its founding years and there was a rumor that if you prayed to the 'lovers' that your wish would come true.

"Wonder if I should make a wish; I need a little magic right about now," I chuckled mirthlessly as I looked down at my bandaged arm upon arriving in front of the two statues. I shrugged and kneeled before them, clapping my hands together and touching my forehand to my clasped hands. A sort of hollow anticipation filled me.

"Oh Master Sun and Mistress Moon," I murmured as I tried to remember the somewhat absurd incantation the rumors had featured, "Please take mercy on me tonight. Please if you could find it in yourselves to listen to this wish of mine I'll be forever grateful. Thank you for listening to me at all."

I took in a deep breath, "I am a pathetic thirteen-year-old girl. I cannot wait until I turn sixteen so I can hop in a car and get the hell away from here. Away from everyone here, and that includes my stepbrother whom I don't really care about. I am so sick of being harassed every single goddamn day because of him and he doesn't care about me at all either. I'm sorry if this is a rant but I want out. I don't have anyone I really am attached too and I'm sick of the bubble of ignorance that surrounds these people. I swear that when I get out of here unless it's absolutely necessary I am _never_ coming back to see anyone except Nurse Shelly. What I came here for is an education and I am also fed up with being ridiculed, because I can't even get that education from the teachers who don't even care about me. I'm smart but it's so frustrating that I can't concentrate or comprehend because in reality all these teachers favor the rich kids and leave scholarship students like me to fend for ourselves. I want an education, I want a teacher, and I want knowledge. Please if you have any mercy, please take me away from here and teach me."

I fell back to sit on my feet and coughed a couple times, "Well, that was pathetic."

"Really? I thought it was a wonderful confession to a couple of statues sitting out here in this lovely winter garden."

My body tensed and I completely froze, slowly I looked back over my shoulder; my jaw dropped at what I saw, or rather the utter lack of something. I scrambled to my feet and spun around, there wasn't a single soul besides me out in the garden. Fuck, why _would _there be anyone out here besides me?

"I'm going crazy," I muttered as I looked back to the statues then forward again, "I'm going crazy from all the stress caused by school and by people, that's got to be it."

The wind howled just as I said the last words as if carrying them off to some other place like they weren't true at all. My body shook as I wrapped my arms around myself; winter on the east coast was a bitch in my opinion. I'd just closed my eyes just in case any dirt came up and got into my eyes—it'd happened before—when I heard someone talking.

"Crazy? Crazy you say? Well then, I wonder what I am."

I snapped my head around not caring that my hair was getting in my mouth even as I was pulling it away from my eyes. This time I did see someone, a someone dressed in complete black clothing, a someone that was a man. _Fuck_, I thought as I stepped back, _creeper on campus. CREEPER ON CAMPUS. FUCK WHY ISN'T THERE ANYONE OUT HERE? Why was I so stupid and had to some out here at night? WHO DOES THAT?...Oh right, I do…fuck. _I took two more steps back as the man in front of me stared me down and stopped. My eyes squeezed shut as a feeling of nausea came over me and my hands slapped over my mouth. I forced my eyes to open and instantly regretted the action, _it_ was happening again. My vision went surreal, as is in those videos with that static image special effect on the internet. That's what the world looked like to me as the man took a step closer.

_He had cobalt blue eyes and inky black hair that looked like strands of silk. __**He thinks the world of you. You know? Loves you so much. Loves you too much. **__I ignored the voice nagging at the back of my mind, and I smiled at him. His skin glowed like marble in the moonlight and I resisted the growing urge to giggle. He was so handsome with his entire face made up of all those striking angles and statue like features…_

"The hell?" I muttered as I grabbed at my head, the man didn't move instead he simply smiled as I started to stumble back.

"I do believe that you were praying to Lord Sol and Lady Luna about your own self worth? Your craving for knowledge?" He took a step forward causing me to back pedal.

"Come a step closer and I'll scream," I hissed, my eyes darting to the ground, looking for anything I could use to hit him. He didn't stop though; instead he kept walking towards me with a serene smile on his face. Amusement flickered in his eyes as panic surged through my veins; I stood suddenly frozen as he approached.

"Well—."

I mustered up the strength and ran when he opened his mouth again, for he was only a couple of feet in front of me, and flight became quite the appealing option. I didn't know what, precisely, I was doing but my legs were moving and my arms were pumping. Adrenaline fueled my motions and was fueled by my panic as I twisted my way through the maze of the garden. I didn't dare look back; I wasn't thinking clearly at all and all I could do was run. My heart was racing and my mind was in a complete state of chaos. I was surprised I hadn't tripped yet actually, scuttling about like a crazed insect. But in a sudden moment of clarity knew that I needed to go somewhere, somewhere safe. But where? Somewhere close by and that could actually help my current predicament…The greenhouse! There were garden tools there that I could surely use as weapons; with new resolve I ran harder, and green passed me in a blur as I raced towards the glass building. I was nearly there, just a little more…

I screamed as I felt something suddenly collide with the front of my ankles; my breath was knocked out of me as I nearly face planted. My arms were pulsating with pain as they received the impact of the fall, having come forth on instinct. A hiss escaped my mouth as I snapped my head about to search for what had tripped me up. All the color drained from my face as I noticed that tucked underneath my ankles was a long skinny jean covered leg that trailed upwards. My eyes followed the leg to where it connected to the lower region of the mystery man.

"Oh fuck," I breathed. I scrambled forward as my wits came back to me, my palms scrapped against the ground and I cursed as my foot got caught between the cobblestones. _Just my luck, I'm in fucking danger and I screw up my own escape plan. Just my luck_. Quickly I flipped around so that I could crawl backwards and could keep my eyes on the mystery man just in case anything happened. He looked down at me with an amused glint in his eyes as the wind blew his hair around like some kind of black halo. Slowly, I continued to inch backwards, my hands searching and my eyes never leaving his form; at first I only felt the rough surface of the ground but then I felt something much like wood. It was probably a tree branch, testing it I subtly tried picking it up, it was heavy and probably could do some damage. It was perfect.

"Now little one, hush, I'm not going to hurt you—."

I swung the branch and squeezed my eyes shut; _oh please oh please hit him_. There was a gasp before a heavy thud forced me to open my eyes with reluctance. My clenched jaw slackened into when I saw the man's stilled form on the ground.

"Oh fuck," I dropped the branch as I scrambled forward. He wasn't moving, hell I couldn't tell if he was even breathing, "Oh Fuck."

Tentatively, I poked him with my extended foot, making sure I was far enough away and after about five minutes I was convinced he was out cold. Nervousness filled my veins as fully as adrenaline had as I tried to decide what to do, and in my stupid panicked state I decided that I should drag the body into the greenhouse, tie the guy up and see what happened. It took what felt like half an hour to drag his ass into the glass building and tie him up; that was when I started to pace, already beginning to feel like an idiot.

"Okay, okay I didn't kill him, I know I didn't kill him. But the hell do I do with him? Should I report him?—I snorted—As if anyone would believe me…Okay then, when he wakes up I'll—."

"Do what?" called an amused voice caring a certain accent. It was British.

I spun around and gripped the trowel that I'd picked up earlier, "Who the hell are you?"

The man was fully awake; looking perfectly fine like nothing had happened to him and…he wasn't tied up. I stumbled backwards as I noticed this and let a whimper of pain as my backside collided with the dirt covered floor. Something flickered in his eyes and he reached forward but I held up my trowel again. He held his hand where it was, in front of him and just a few inches from the gardening tool.

"Nathaniel Ashworth. That is who I am…isn't that right, Sheldon?"

_Who the hell is Sheldon?_ I thought as I craned my neck so that I could see behind me and dropped the trowel. There behind me, stood Nurse Shelly with her arms crossed and flashed what seemed to be fangs. She looked like hell; actually let me rephrase that—she looked like she was a commander of the legions of Hell from the furious expression on her face.

"We agreed that once I'd informed her enough you'd talk to her, _and only then_."

Nathaniel's voice was strained as he replied to her but never taking his eyes off of me as I turned my head to look at him again, "I couldn't help myself. It's been hard enough restraining myself after these past couple of days."

Shelly's voice was hard, "Her birthday is in less than an hour; I would've told her in the afternoon and introduced you at night."

"Shit happens, and we both know I don't have that much control over issues like this."

He sounded desperate and that freaked me out a bit, what did he have to sound desperate about.

"Shelly?" I tentatively asked as I backed up so that I was closer to her, "What's going on?"

My favorite person of the moment sighed and from Nathaniel's expression I bet that she was glaring at him, "First of all, Happy Birthday kiddo and second of all remember what I've been explaining to you for the last couple of months?"

"About the OtherFolk?" I whispered, "About…vampires?" This really couldn't be happening; Shelly had only told me that there were people out there that weren't people, after a freak accident where I'd seen her 'feeding' off of someone. Instead of erasing my memories she explained to me what she was and the like…and I proceeded to freak out and scream before she forced me to lose consciousness and then calmly explained to me all over again. I took it better the second time around, seeing how she showed me how she could retract her fangs into her gums. From there she explained to me what lay beneath the sugarcoated world; I inwardly groaned as I realized that Nathaniel probably was a vampire and I'd been stupid to run. Predators would always chase if you ran from them.

"Yes short stuff, about vampires and the OtherFolk, there was a reason for that. And here he stands in front of you, his name's Nathaniel."

Shelly knew Nathaniel, which meant he was most likely safe, but that thought actually made the whole entire situation a bit creepier and more awkward. I was speechless for a few moments, but after taking in a deep breath I was prepared to ask my questions. Before I could open my mouth however, Shelly persuaded us to move it on over to her house, which was located just outside the campus's grounds. We were now sitting in her living room; Shelly lounging in her usual love seat while Nathaniel and I perched on different ends of a couch that'd seen better days.

"Why is he important?"

The man in question let out a strangled sound much like a trapped animal's and I shot him an incredulous look. He straightened himself as my eyes landed on me and finally decided to go back acting like a normal person. He coughed before sharing a look with Shelly and answering me, "That question is actually quite complicated but in the bluntest terms…here, let me hold your hand for a moment."

"Shelly?" My voice hovered in the air, and it was an unspoken question in and of itself. _Is this safe and if it isn't will you protect me?_

"Go ahead." I nodded before hesitantly placing my hand within the stranger's hand and doubled over immediately. An electric shock was painfully surging through my veins, lighting every nerve I had on fire. Images raced in front of my eyes and thoughts crowded my mind.

_There was me sitting on the couch doubled over, Nathaniel I felt was panicking and oh god I didn't know. Fuck my head, so confusing, so many emotions. __**My mate, my love, my soul**__…Oh god oh god oh god_.

I blacked out.


End file.
